Annual review won't result in additions to Butte bus service

Chico >> No new bus services will be added this year in Butte County as a result a required annual review of the system.

The Butte County Association of Governments board of directors this morning wrapped up this year's "unmet transit needs" process by voting unanimously there were no needs that were "reasonable" to meet.

That means, basically, that no new service would generate the required level of revenue from fares to justify the addition. Transit service is heavily subsidized, but riders still have to provide a share of the cost, in most cases 20 percent.

As in past years, service to the Chico airport was a finalist, but again failed to make the cut, according to BCAG senior transit planner Jim Peplow.

He said an analysis of a route to the airport found fares would only cover 11 to 13 percent of the cost.

There are 1,300 people working at the airport currently, Peplow said, and estimated another 800 to 1,000 would have to be located there for the run to pencil out. And while Milestone opened up at the airport in the past year, Build.Com moved out, resulting pretty much in a wash.

BCAG, which operates Butte Regional Transit, has to conduct the transit needs analysis each year. If an unmet need that is reasonable to meet is found, it must be provided under the state law that largely funds transit.

After the analysis is completed, unallocated transit dollars are distributed to the county and the cities and can be used for other transportation needs like filling potholes.

Snakes on a bus

In other transit news, the BCAG board heard a report on Butte Regional Transit policy changes that touched on items including how drivers deal with unruly service animals.

Service animals are no longer limited to seeing-eye dogs, and the laws governing them are complicated enough that drivers aren't always sure how to react when someone tries to get on the bus with an animal.

Predictably, some people take advantage of that and get on the bus with an ordinary pet, calling it a service animal. There have been cases where the so-called service animals have misbehaved and caused trouble for other passengers.

The new policy, which was just presented as an information item, spells out what the drivers can ask, what allows an animal to be brought onto a bus, and what behavior allows the animal and its owner to be removed from the bus.

The discussion included the disclosure that service animals can include snakes.

"Spiders too," said transit manager Michael Rosson.

He went on to explain snakes apparently have the ability to determine when an epileptic owner is about to have a seizure.

"I gotta ask," said Oroville Supervisor Bill Connelly, "What if one guy has a rabbit and the guy next to him has a python?"

Rosson answered through the laughter that they'd try to keep such cases separate.

Who gets to ride?

The board was also informed of a pending change in who will be eligible to use the dial-a-ride paratransit buses.

The bus service have to be provided under the federal Americans With Disabilities Act, but there has been excess capacity that has been made available to anyone over age 65.

But with 20 to 25 applications for the service coming in every week, the people who qualify under the ADA will soon crowd out those who don't.

The policy changes will raise the age limit to 70, and limit new service approvals to people who can't use the fixed route system.